Students at a North Texas high school arrived at school on Monday morning, April 4, greeted by a heightened police and security presence as a result of alleged threats made against the campus late Sunday night.
UPDATE: The added police presence at The Colony High School appears to be the result of an argument that took place off-campus between two students. It escalated into a shooting threat which prompted school officials and local law enforcement to beef up campus security Monday, CBS DFW reported. The student who allegedly made the threat was already suspended for an unrelated matter and investigators do not believe he had access to a weapon. Authorities did not have enough evidence to criminally charge anyone in this case, according to the TV news outlet. The Colony Police Department Officer Kyle Koiner said: “Everything on social media’s been third-party allegations and comment made that have snowballed.” He added the police department established a presence to put people’s minds at ease.”
Around midnight, The Colony High School Principal Tim Baxter posted an open letter to parents on the campus website. He wrote: “Late Sunday night, police and school officials received information regarding threats made against The Colony High School.”
He advised families that police swiftly acted, opened an investigation into the threats, and the suspects are currently under investigation, although he did not reveal details about how the threats were made or by whom. Baxter wrote: “Suspects are currently under investigation.”
He added: “But I want to assure you the safety and security of our students is always at the forefront of our decision-making process.” Baxter also thanked The Colony police and the school district for their swift actions taken. He wrote: “I appreciate the quick action taken by the police and the Lewisville ISD safety and security team to keep our students and staff safe once reports of the threats surfaced.”
The nature of the threats remains unclear. The school’s principal said the district will continue to update parents with new information. However, despite threats, school is open and students were expected to report to classes Monday morning on their normal schedules.
In a second communication early Monday morning, Baxter updated parents that police began investigating the situation and it appears the purported suspects were identified.
Updated TCHS Parent Notice – April 4: https://t.co/qnkPsZpAeY https://t.co/MA6GTwFA8i
— The Colony HS (@TheColonyHS) April 4, 2016
Baxter did not name the purported individuals involved in making the threats but indicated law enforcement “made contact with the individuals involved.” The principal stated that the incident at hand occurred off campus. At time it is unknown if any enrolled students, faculty, and/or staff are either involved in or targeted by the purported threats.
“Because this is an ongoing police investigation of a situation that happened off campus, we are limited in the information that is available to us and that we can share with parents, he wrote. “But I want to assure you the safety and security of our students is always at the forefront of our decision-making process.”
As a precautionary measure, Baxter said students and parents should expect to see an increased police presence on and near campus Monday.
The Colony Police Department posted on Facebook Monday morning:
“Colony Police Department is aware of a possible “threat” made against students at The Colony High School. There is an on-going investigation into the allegations. What was posted on social media was made by a 3rd party. There is extra police presence at and around The Colony High School today.”
The Colony High School is part of the Lewisville Independent School District, located in The Colony, in Denton County. Breitbart Texas contacted the high school Monday morning. There were no updates to report on the situation at the time of our call. As this is a developing story, Breitbart Texas will update this story as details become available.
It is not known how long local police intend to maintain extra officers at the high school. Breitbart Texas will continue to follow this story.
This article has been updated with new information.
Follow Merrill Hope on Twitter @OutOfTheBoxMom.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.